Iron



June 26, 1928. 1,675,084

A. L. BAILEY IRON Filed April 22, 1926 dltoz'uey Patented June 26, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR I. BAILEY, OF JAMAICA PLAIN, MASSACH USETTS.

Inorr.

\ Application filed April 22, 1926. Serial No. 103,712.

This invention relates to irons of the type which are provided with a back rest or heel stand upon which the iron may be tilted upon the user, and if the user neglects to do this, the iron will scorch or burn the mate rial being ironed.

In order to entirely eliminate the human factor by definitely relieving the user of the necessity for deliberately and consciously tilting the iron to a safe position when not in use, I have devised my present invention. According to it, the iron is so counterbalanced as to automatically assume a tilted position back on its heel stand the moment that the users hand is removed from he handle. This avoids the danger of the user forgetting to tilt the iron to a safe position when not in use, and in this respect the iron recommends itself to the fire underwriters.

In its broadest aspect, therefore, my invention resides in the concept of an iron so constructed and arranged as automatically to assume a safe position when not in use. This concept may be carried out in a variety of counterbalancing arrangements, the simplest being merely to so. distribute the weight of the iron, handle and heel stand with reference to the operating plane of the iron that the normal tendency of the iron is to assume its safe position whenever the pressure of the users hand on the handle is removed. Many variants are'possible, however, and in another form of my invention which I shall show and describe, the iron handle itself is constructed in two sections, one of which is rigid with the iron and the other of which is provided with a moving counterweight, and is pivoted at one end and spring-pressed so as automatically to tilt rearwardly and thus tilt the iron back onto the heel stand whenever the users hand is removed from the handle.

The construction and operation of my iron, together with selected embodiments thereof which illustrate the'principles involved, are described and shown in the ac companying specification and drawings, and the characteristic features of novelty are particularly pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of an iron of conventional type equipped with one form of my invention, and showing in dotted lines the intermediate position which the counter-weighted section of the handle automatically assumes when the users hand is removed therefrom and in dot and dash lines the final position of the handle section and of the iron itself when the iron has tilted to its safe position.

Fig. 2 is an end view ofv Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1 of a modification and showing in full and dotted lines the operating and safe positions ofthe iron, and

Fig. 5 shows a further modification.

I have indicated at l the body of an iron of standard type and at 2 the heel stand or back rest which is carried by the iron. This back rest may be constructed in a variety of forms and as shown in Fig. 1 includes a part 3 rising from the heel of the iron, preferably at an angle thereto, and carrying at its upper end a cross-piece which constitutes a fulcrum for the upper section 5 of the two-part handle, the lower section 5 of which is rigidly attached at 5" to the iron. In this form of my invention, the upper section 5 is adapted to automatically swing rearwardly on its pivot whenever the pressure of the hand thereon is released, whereby to automatically tilt the iron into a safe position, as shown in dotted lines Fig.- 2.

For this purpose, the handle section 5 may be made hollow and may contain a rolling counterweight, here shown as a plurality of lead shot 6, and the pivot forthe handle is spring-pressed as indicated at 7. Normally, the pivoted handle section 5 is held down against the fixed handle section 5 by the pressure of the users hand in grasping the handle to manipulate the iron, as shown in full lines Fig. 1. When the hand is removed from the handle, the spring 7 swin s the handle section 5 rearwardly on its pivot 4 into the dotted line position of Fig 1. In this action, the counterweight 6 rolls towards the rear end of the hollow handle section 5 and this change of balance is suflicient to tilt the iron rearwardly onto its back rest as shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. l. I

Inasmuch as the lifting action of the spring 7 is slightly greater than the gravity effect of the counterweight, the handle section 5 normally tends to swing upwardly unless positively held down by the pressure of the users hand thereon in ironing and thus the tendency of the iron is always to wards its sate position.

In the embodiment (it my invention shown in Fig. l, the spring-pressed handle section 5 is pivoted to -a counterweight 8 extendi11 from the heel stand.

in the modification shown in Fig. 5, the handle 9 is a onepiece handle rigidly attached to the iron, and the counterweight 10 which extends from the heel stand 2 is relied upon solely to accomplish the rear Ward tilting of the iron to its safe position upon release of the handle.

In all forms, the tendency of the iron to rock back automatically onto its heel. stand when the users hand is removed from the handle. Thus my iron. has a constant tendency towards a safe position and auto matically moves to such position upon release of the handle.

These, and various other modifications may obviously be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invei'ltion, as defined by the appended claims.

What I therefore claimv and desire to Sccare by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, an iron con'i tirising a body having a handle and having a heel stand at the rear of the in ly of the iron, the rear side of said stand extending up Wardly and rearwardly from a point adjation and at the rear of the body of the iron,

the rear side of said stand curving upwardly and rearwardly from a point adjacent the body of the iron, said handle section being counter-weighted and pivolally connected at one end to the top portion of the heel stand and a spring acting upon said handle section and effective when the o 'ierators hand is removed therefrom to rock the handle section upwardly and rearwardly into a position wherein the counterweight thereof will automatically tilt the iron bodily back onto said heel stand.

3. In combination, an iron comprising a body havinga hollow handle section and having a heel stand beneath said handle section and at the rear of the body oi the iron, the rear side of said stand curving upwardly and rearwardly from a point adjacent the body of the iron, said handle ec-- tion heing pivotally connected atone end to the top portion of the heel staiid, a moving counterweight within said handle section, and a spring acting upon said handle ction and effective when the operate-i s hand is removed thcretrom to rock the handle section upwardly and rearwardly into a position. wherein the counterweight lhcreijii will automatically tilt the iron lilJtll back onto said heel stand.

In testimoi'iy whereof I affix my signature.

.AR'IHUR L, BAILEY. 

